


Take It Up a Notch

by morebeesthanyoucouldimagine



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Female Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Build, Steampunk
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-03
Updated: 2014-10-10
Packaged: 2018-02-19 18:19:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2398178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/morebeesthanyoucouldimagine/pseuds/morebeesthanyoucouldimagine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the death of his mother, sister, and best friend, Eren Yeager swore vengeance against the titans. Living on the streets of Trost, he barely survives, both physically and mentally. Once he is rejected by the Survey Corps, he nearly loses hope, but can one unsuccessful pickpocket attempt, an intimidating woman, and a manmade titan give him the chance to avenge them? Maybe he will find romance along the way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Debris

“Eren says he wants to join the Scouting Regiment.” Mikasa said in her usual monotone voice. Eren’s eyes widened in in shock and anger.

“Mikasa, I told you not to say anything!” Eren would have gone on, but his mother cut him off.

“Eren! What are you thinking?! Do you have any idea how many people have _died_ outside the Walls?!” She was absolutely livid. Any good mother would be. Joining the Survey Corps was essentially a death sentence. What kind of mother would be okay with that?

“Yeah, I know!” He replied. The atmosphere in the small room was heated and tense. There was no doubt that Eren had gotten his stubbornness trait from his own mother.

“Then…!” Carla tried to continue but was cut off by her husband.

“Eren. Why do you want to go out there?” Grisha questioned. The tension in the room cooled significantly because of his intervention.

“I want to know what the outside world is like! I don’t want to live my entire life in ignorance inside the Walls! Plus… if no one else is willing to take their place, then the lives all who’ve died will be for nothing!” Eren explained the logic behind his desire.

“I see.” Grisha said, getting up from his chair. “My boat’s about to leave, I better get going.” He turned and walked to the front door.

“Hold on! Talk some sense into Eren!” His wife called after him.

“Carla, _words can’t hold back human curiosity_.” 

* * *

 

Eren was with his two best friends near the river when it happened.

"Just because the Walls haven’t fallen for a hundred years doesn’t guarantee they won’t fall today...And yet…" Armin said in a matter of fact tone. Armin couldn’t even finish his thought before one instant changed everything.

For just one moment, the sky was brighter than a thousand suns, the earth quaked, and a sound louder than anything that had ever been heard was witnessed.

“What was that?! An explosion?!” Armin nearly screeched.

There was a large commotion coming from the main street. Many People were starting to gather there. Being the young, curious children they were, they went to go see what the tumult was about. When they were almost there, Armin broke out into a sprint.

“Hey, Armin! Wait up!” Eren called out after him. He and Mikasa caught up to him soon enough.

Eren looked around for what the source of the disruption could be. He observed all the surrounding buildings and people. He saw that most of the people were wide-eyed and pale. They were scared. He couldn’t figure out why everyone was terrified.

“What is it?! What do you see?!”He asked. It was at that time that he looked up at the Wall and saw the unthinkable.

A giant, skinless hand was grasping the Wall tightly, as if it were hanging on to it for dear life. Slowly a colossal head rose up from behind the Wall. The head was skinless just like the hand. The visible mussel was an angry red color. Steam emanated from its massive maw.

“It can’t be. Th-That Wall…is fifty meters high!” Armin stammered, shaking his head. Fearful tears started to run down his face.

“It’s one of them…” Eren breathed.

The Colossal Titan slowly raised one of its enormous feet. Then brought it down on the Wall’s gate, slamming into it mercilessly. The gate had no chance of surviving the aggressive attack. The force from the impact not only caused the obliteration of the gate, but also created a wind current that violently tossed anything and anyone in its radius like a child throws its toys. The titans flooded in through the gaping hole that used to be the gateway, and debris flew in every direction. The people who were no longer frozen by terror fled the scene. Trying to escape the inevitability that was death.

Eren could only think of one person.

_Mom._

It seemed like Mikasa was thinking this too, because she grabbed Eren’s and Armin’s hands and started to sprint in the direction of the Yeager household. The two boys had a hard time keeping up with her because she was running so fast. Eren looked at Armin. He was sobbing hysterically.

“Stay with us Armin! We’ll keep you safe.” Eren told him, trying to comfort him. Armin shakily nodded his head in reply. When Eren tripped and fell, Mikasa roughly pulled him to his feet. Normally Eren would be a bit resentful of this, but in this situation he greatly appreciated it. The trio continued racing to the house.

“It couldn’t have hit our home! Just around this corner…our home is standing there, like always!” Eren tried to convince himself. They turned around the corner and saw what was left of the house. The roof had collapsed underneath debris.

“Mom! Mom!” Eren cried. Fear gave his body the strength to run harder towards his mother who lied trapped underneath the rubble. He kept calling out to her, tears ran down his face like rivers. When he got close he noticed that blood was flowing from a gash in her head. He crouched down in front of his mother’s corpse. He kept trying to get some kind of response from her, but his efforts were in vain. Carla Yeager was dead.

_The last time I saw her, we were arguing. Dammit, she died with that as her last memory of me. I’ll never be able to say goodbye, let alone apologize._

Eren’s sobs drowned out everything around him. He couldn’t even hear the titan approaching.

“ _EREN!_ ” Mikasa’s scream pierced through his veil of mourning the loss of his mother. Eren looked up and saw a titan standing over the house. It had a sickeningly wide, animalistic grin. Eren felt like he couldn’t breathe.

“ _EREN!_ ” Mikasa screeched again. Eren snapped out of it when Mikasa tried to pick him up and carry him to safety. Eren leapt to his feet. Mikasa immediately grabbed his wrist and started running away from the titan. Her grasp on Eren hurt him, but in this scenario he could not find it in him to care.

Armin ran alongside them, breathing heavily. All three of them were crying heavily at this point, and made it hard for them to see. If they had been able to see well, they may have noticed that some of the remains from the Wall were perched precariously on the roofs of the buildings and houses that they past. Armin didn’t even have time to react before he was crushed by some of the falling debris. Mikasa and Eren stood frozen as blood seeped out from underneath the rubble.

Thundering footsteps approached the two. A large shadow enveloped them. Eren dared to look up and he saw the titan from earlier. Blood stained its smile. The blood was undoubtedly his mother’s. Its hand descended upon them in an attempt to grab the both of them. Mikasa woke up out of her daze and pushed Eren out of the way at the last moment.

Eren was paralyzed by fear. He could only watch as the titan wrapped its giant hand around his sister. He tried to scream but no sound came out.

Eren’s vision started to blur and he collapsed. He heard a faint humming sound just before he blacked out.

* * *

 

Eren was gradually woken up by gentle rocking. At first Eren thought that it was his mother cradling him in her arms, like she would whenever he had a nightmare.

_So, does that mean it was all a bad dream? Does that mean Armin, Mikasa, and Mom are still alive?_

His misplaced hopes were crushed when he realized that he was lying down on a hard surface, it felt like wood. When he opened his eyes he saw the evening sky overhead. As he sat up he realized he was on a boat.

It wasn’t a dream.

All that he had ever known and loved was gone.


	2. Rations

 Eren was sitting on the wooden deck of the boat filled with other survivors. On that day, not only had Shiganshina fallen, but the entirety of Wall Maria. Those who had managed to survive and escape were suffering. They were all suffering whether it was from physical injuries or mental scars, or maybe both. Many people found it difficult to move, let alone stand. Their struggles were very apparent. It was very difficult for them to clean themselves, so many of them were covered in dirt, dust, mud, and dried blood. Their clothes were turned into filthy rags.

The little food that was on the boat was gone within the third hour of the voyage to Trost. The survivors’ stomachs cried out to be fed, their throats were like sand paper. When the sun wasn’t beating down on them mercilessly, it was bitterly cold.

Despite being weak and pained, tensions were high. Everyone was cantankerous. Some people were so irritable, they were making others irritable. A gust of wind alone would get people complaining and whining loudly, then other people would complain about the complaining. They were either deafeningly loud, or deathly silent. People were threatening to push others off the boat if they didn’t get what they wanted.

In total, the painful trip took just over two days, and not everyone made it. There was a handful of people who had died on the boat due to their injuries. Eren had heard a rumor that a couple of people were pushed off the boats. 

* * *

 

When Eren arrived at Trost, he was startled by the sheer chaos that had taken over. Some people were planning on passing through Trost, but most people were staying in the city. It quickly got over populated, and with over population came filth, food shortage, and disease. The entire city had an atmosphere of death. It quickly got more difficult to dispose of the corpses, eventually they just started piling up in the streets.

The government was supplying rations, but these meager portions were not nearly enough. Eren knew that if he didn’t want to starve, he would have to be one of the first people in line for them, so he planned ahead and patiently waited for his food.

When the distributions opened, the people became like an angry sea in the middle of a fierce storm. Eren was quickly shoved aside, and trampled on. By the time he was able to get back up, the best of the bread was gone. Most of what that remained was burnt, small, and generally unappetizing. Despite this, Eren wanted the bread. He needed it. Eren tried his hardest to push through the waves of arms and hands that were begging for provisions. Some of the people were starting to turn violent. The cries and begs from the crowd were starting to turn into howls and screams.

_Animals. All of them. They’re just like livestock._

Eren continued making his way to the stock of food when punches and blows started. Eren tried to protect himself by crouching down and keeping low. He could have sworn that he felt blood splash on his cheek, most likely another unfortunate person. Eren was starting to panic, at this point there would probably only be scraps left.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt someone grab his shoulder. He turned his head to see a familiar face. The face was wrinkled and worn, but kind none the less. The old man was wearing a straw hat and had deep blue eyes. Those eyes were nearly identical to his dead best friend’s. The man was Armin’s former grandfather and caretaker. He was pushing something into Eren’s hands. It was a fresh, warm loaf of bread.

Eren looked up at the Grandfather, silently asking if the food was for him. The blue-eyed man firmly nodded his head. Eren decided to refrain from using words not only because they would be lost in the chaos around them, but also because he knew that the older man didn’t speak much and appreciated silence. For the entire first year since he had met Armin, he thought his Grandfather was mute, but it turns out he was just very quiet.

Eren didn’t hesitate to eat the bread right then and there. Once he was finished with it, he realized he should have savored it more. The two of them quickly left the crowd to escape the possibility of getting attacked by the other starving people. It was starting to turn into a riot, and the quicker they got out, the better.

* * *

 

The two of them worked together to survive. It was difficult, and some nights they didn’t have food to eat, but they were alive.

It wasn’t too long before a plan was created to try and reclaim Wall Maria. The military said that the Survey Corps needed many eligible men and women to offer themselves up in order to succeed. Eren wanted to go, but at this time he was only eleven years old and Armin’s grandfather strictly forbid it. Very few people volunteered before the military offered extra rations to the family of those who accepted their offer.

It wasn’t a week later when the older man told Eren that he was going to join them. Eren had mixed feelings about this revelation. His caretaker was going to be doing one of the most honorable jobs available, but Eren was going to be alone again.

_Maybe once I join the Survey Corps, I’ll be able to see him again!_

Eren tried to think positively about the situation, but that alone was difficult. On the day that the grandfather was scheduled to depart, he thanked Eren for everything he had done for Armin and gave him the straw hat that he wore every day. It was at this moment that Eren started crying, he didn’t really understand why.

* * *

 

It turned out that these “extra” rations were really the same portions, but they were ensured to the family of the volunteers. Eren didn’t have to worry about food for a few weeks before they stopped giving out the extra rations.

Eren tried to arrive early for provisions each day, but was often either too late or pushed to the side. Whenever he did manage to grab a few scraps of food, he ate it instant he got it. The first few times he did get some provisions he tried to make them last, but more often than not, he would be beaten up and have his rations stolen.

When Armin’s grandfather had taken care of Eren, he had used the little money he had to rent them a space to live. By the time he had left to join the Survey Corps, there were only a few coins left. Eren knew that he would need more money soon, but for the time being, he would have to live on the street. He had taken up begging.

On a remarkably hot day, Eren was making his rounds when a member of the Garrison approached him. At first Eren was worried that they were going to arrest him for some reason, but it turned out that the soldier was overheating and was willing to pay Eren a few coins for his straw hat that Armin’s Grandfather had given him. Eren didn’t hesitate to sell it, but as he saw the soldier walk away, he realized that he had gotten rid of one of the last physical things he had to remember his childhood. He felt nothing but regret from that encounter.

* * *

 

It was a cold, windy autumn day. Dampness could be felt everywhere. The weather was causing seasonal illnesses, like the common cold, to spread rapidly. While these sicknesses weren’t incredibly dangerous by themselves, they opened doors for worse ailments. Coughing and sneezing could be heard everywhere, and people were starting to drop like flies.

Not only had illnesses gotten aggressive, but the people as well. The rations that were being distributed were practically nonexistent. Some people started to use force to get their share of food. Few people showed up to the distributions, for fear that they would be attacked.

Eren kept going, he was desperate for some kind of staple. He had learned that once you got your ration, you needed to run, otherwise you might get your portion stolen. It was getting harder and harder to run each day due to malnourishment.

That day, Eren didn’t get away in time. Two older boys had chased after him and quickly caught up. Eren had attempted to stand his ground, but was quickly overpowered. He had lost his food for the day.

_What the hell? Usually I would have kicked their asses!_

_Mikasa and I were unstoppable, so then why didn’t I-_

_Mikasa._

_Oh my god, Mikasa._

Tears began to well up in Eren’s eyes as he thought about his dead sister. These thoughts quickly turned into thoughts of Armin and his mother.

_All this pain, misery, and death is the titans’ fault! I will fight to remember all those who have died._

_I will avenge them! I’ll kill every last titan!_

_I’ll eradicate them all. I have to join the Survey Corps._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Levi should be introduced soon.

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, Eren's going to have a hell of a time.  
> I promise things will get better for him.  
> Eventually.  
> A good friend of mine is going to be doing her take on this, I'll post the link here if you're interested.


End file.
